What does the Bible really say heaven is like? We all have questions about what heaven will be like. Fortunately, Scripture is filled with helpful information about our future home―we just have to know where to look. Dr. David Jeremiah has spent a lifetime studying what the Bible has to say about heaven, and now in Answers to Your Questions about Heaven , he has done just that―provided answers to your most pressing questions such as: Is heaven a real, physical place? - What will heaven look like, and what will we do all day? - Is it possible for a Christian’s name to be “blotted out” of the Book of Life? - What purpose do angels serve, and will they be in heaven? - How should I live today in light of eternity? This straightforward, easy-to-understand, biblically based book will provide comfort and hope for anyone curious about heaven or dealing with the grief and heartache of losing a loved one. A perfect gift for friends and family and a handy religious resource to keep on your own shelf, this handsome little book will ignite your imagination and whet your appetite for all the amazing experiences that await! Answers to your questions about Heaven By DAVID JEREMIAH Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2013 David Jeremiah All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4964-0212-7 Contents Introduction, xi, What's Up with Heaven?, 1, Where Are They Now?, 11, Angels and Death, 17, What about the Children?, 21, Won't Heaven Be Boring?, 27, What's Up with Angels?, 35, Heaven's Rebels, 53, Angels and You, 61, The Ultimate "Extreme Makeover", 71, Heaven's Oscars, 79, The Heavenly City, 87, Worship in Heaven, 95, What on Earth Is the Millennium?, 103, The New Heaven and the New Earth, 111, Tough-Minded about Heaven, 117, Scripture Reference Guide, 121, Additional Resources by Dr. Jeremiah, 135, Notes, 139, About the Author, 141, CHAPTER 1 What's Up with Heaven? WHY SHOULD I STUDY HEAVEN WHILE I'M LIVING ON EARTH? Did you know that heaven is mentioned more than five hundred times in the Scriptures? Being a prominent teaching in the Bible, heaven ought to also be prominent in our hearts and in our thoughts. As we become more heavenly minded, we actually become of more earthly good! God has placed within our hearts a hunger for eternity, a hunger for heaven. And if we do not understand that and we do not feed that hunger with the spiritual truth of the Word of God, we will end up trying to satisfy that hunger with vain and tawdry things that will leave us empty and without satisfaction. The truth is, we can never approximate all that God has prepared for us in our heavenly home. And we cannot recreate heaven on earth. But when we choose to focus on and prepare for the eternal home that awaits us, our earthly focus is shifted toward living a life that honors God and leads others to Him. IS HEAVEN A REAL, PHYSICAL PLACE? Heaven is no figment of the imagination; nor is it a feeling, a state of mind, or the invention of man. Heaven is a literal place prepared by Christ for a prepared people. In John chapter 14, Jesus Himself leaves His disciples with this promise: In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. JOHN 14:2-3 It is interesting to note that the Greek term translated place in this passage is actually the word topos, which more specifically refers to a locatable place. From this promise we can have full confidence that heaven is a real, physical place—a place where believers will one day reside with their Savior! HOW MANY LEVELS OF HEAVEN ARE DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE? The Bible speaks of three distinct heavens. 1. The first heaven is described in Isaiah 55:9-10 and is the atmosphere surrounding the earth—the domain of the clouds and birds (Genesis 1:20). 2. The second heaven is spoken of in Genesis 1:14-17 as the domain of the heavenly bodies: the sun, moon, stars, planets, and galaxies. 3. Paul described in his second letter to the Corinthians being "caught up to the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2), which is beyond the first and second levels of heaven and is the dwelling place of God—where we will one day join Christ. WHERE IS THE EXACT LOCATION OF HEAVEN? We do not know precisely, but we know that it is "up." Ephesians 4:10 says that Christ "ascended far above all the heavens," meaning heaven is above us. However, "up" is a different locale depending on where you are located on the earth. Satan, addressing God in Isaiah 14:13, said, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north," which would indicate that heaven is located in the north. Even though we do not know the exact location, we know that it is a specific place being prepared for God's p